Published 10:00 am, Thursday, January 27, 2011

Laurels

For the Buffalo Trail Council Boy Scouts of America: Statistics show the longer boys stay in scouting the more likely they will graduate from high school. Scouting is making an impact in the area, and the Buffalo Trail Council serves more than 7,000 area students. Currently, the BTC is in the middle of a $365,000 fundraising effort. If you have the ability, they would appreciate your support.

To Bob Fu of Midland: The China Aid Association president was in Washington last week raising awareness about human rights issues in China. We agree with Fu that those issues were side-stepped during Chinese President Hu Jintao's U.S. visit -- put on the back burner while economic issues were given top priority. We also believe Fu's question, "Can the U.S. afford to rise and fall with the Chinese communist regime?" is one our leaders and citizens should give considerable thought.

To the Texas Senate: Passing voter ID was the right thing to do. Anytime we can stand in the way of someone committing voter fraud, we should do it. We also see little inconvenience in asking someone to provide a form of identification.

To Marcus Johnston: We will miss the assistant city manager when he retires next week. He always was open with the Reporter-Telegram whenever we needed information, even when issues were controversial. We wish him well.

Arrows

For the NFL Players Association executive director De Smith. He was quoted in a New York Times report saying the NFLPA was "at war" with the NFL. We have grown tired of war references that have nothing to do with war. This isn't being politically correct. This is being respectful of those soldiers making the sacrifice in actual war zones. They can tell you what war actually is.

For those pushing Obama citizen questions. There are serious issues to address, and it seems like every Sunday we see politicians being asked if they believe the president is a citizen. Unless there are past statements to indicate otherwise, it is probably time to move on from this tired notion that the president isn't a citizen and trying to trap politicians into doubting his status.

For President Obama. He said during the State of the Union address that "We need to get behind this innovation -- and to help pay for it, I'm asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies." Obama said money "we give," as if it was the government's money. The government may have great expectations (the first country to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015), but to transfer wealth to the auto industry doesn't, on the surface, seem like the right answer.